Who we are
A collective of experts who bring together lived experience and extensive professional knowledge of birth trauma and vicarious trauma.
Our Founders
The dream team who brought Make Birth Better to life.
Dr Rebecca Moore, Founder & Perinatal Psychiatrist
Rebecca works as a Perinatal Psychiatrist in London, dealing with infertility, pregnancy loss, anxiety, depression, OCD and trauma. She’s got experience spanning over twenty years. She developed a particular interest in birth trauma, which led to founding the annual Birth Trauma Conference and Make Birth Better with Emma in 2018.
Dr Emma Svanberg, Founder & Clinical Psychologist
Emma is a Clinical Psychologist, writer, speaker and campaigner. She supports parents(-to-be) and professionals throughout pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. She’s also known as Mumologist and founded The Psychology Co-operative – a network of psychologists who offer whole-family support. She started Make Birth Better with Rebecca in 2018 and co-produced the Make Birth Better model along with our early stakeholders.
Nikki Wilson, Co-Founder & Former CEO
Nikki was the first CEO of Make Birth Better. She played a key role in scaling the organisation from the ground up, combining her lived experience of postnatal PTSD with a strong career in the charity sector. Her leadership is driven by empathy, advocacy, and a deep commitment to transforming maternal mental health.
Our Core Team
Together with our founders, we lead on the strategy, planning and delivery of all of key areas of work.
Laura-Rose Thorogood, CEO
Laura-Rose is an LGBTQIA+, Maternity and Fertility Activist, educator, lecturer, writer and campaigner. She’s also Founder of LGBT Mummies, and has campaigned and influenced policies and law within UK Government and globally. Her own birth trauma lead her to this role. She is passionate about influencing systemic change to create equity and equality, especially for marginalised communities. She leads on our organisational strategy.
Trudi Webber, Training Director
Trudi has over 15 years of project management experience, particularly in charity and corporate relationships in maternal health and education sectors. She has also worked as a childbirth educator, yoga for pregnancy teacher and doula for 20 years. She uses her extensive skillset to facilitate and improve our Make Birth Better (bespoke) training and its effectiveness.
Lauren Parr, Head of Operations and Community
Lauren is a business development and business support expert with a strong passion for well-being in the perinatal period. She’s also a trained doula, yoga teacher, retreat leader and book worm. She leads on the development of our online training products and support for our much-loved Champions and Organisation Partners. She’s an out-of-the-box thinker and has a knack for spotting business potential.
Lindsay Carpenter-Oliver, Advocacy and Bereavement Manager
Lindsay has over 20 years experience of working with families who have experienced Birth Trauma, within the NHS, Charity and private sector. She also has her own lived experience of birth trauma, baby loss and neonatal care and due to this has developed a deep passion for, not only increasing awareness and knowledge of birth trauma, but also improving care and support.
Illiyin Morrison, Chief Campaign Ambassador
Illiyin is an award-winning, dedicated registered midwife, author (The Birth Debrief) and perinatal trauma specialist. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her work and her unwavering commitment to maternal well-being extends beyond the birthing suite. She advocates for comprehensive postpartum care, destigmatising mental health challenges, racism and unconscious bias and fostering a supportive community for all parents.
Natasha Williams, Associate Trainer
Natasha is a trauma informed Psychotherapist with nearly 30 years of working within social care and mental health provision. She brings a wealth of personal and professional experience, knowledge and insight in terms of Reproductive trauma. Natasha is passionate in advocating for change, particularly through effective training.
Our Board Members
Dr. Aziza Sesay is a GP, Educator, former Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer and medical broadcaster celebrated for her contributions to health education, awareness, and advocacy. As the founder of "Talks with Dr. Sesay," she empowers audiences with evidence-based health information, focusing on women’s health, cancer awareness, mental health, and health inequity. Dr. Sesay serves as Vice Chair and Creative Director of Black Female Doctors UK and is an Ambassador for leading health charities, including The Eve Appeal and Wellbeing of Women. Featured in major media outlets, she is a regular GP on BBC Breakfast. She has also collaborated with numerous organisations including NHS England, the Department of Health, YouTube Health, and WHO, contributing to national and global public health campaigns. Recognised with the prestigious Point of Light Award and others, Dr. Sesay is a trusted voice in healthcare, committed to improving outcomes and addressing health inequities.
Caroline Potter-Edwards has extensive experience as an NHS commissioner, most recently leading the transformation of perinatal mental health provision within the Kent Health Visiting Service as the first to embed the City Birth Trauma Scale, and has led the development of Perinatal Pelvic Health Services across Kent and Medway.
Caroline is deeply committed to improving the perinatal experience for women, birthing people and families. Her personal experience of birth trauma in 2019 has shaped her career and drives her passion for raising awareness of the psychological impact of birth among both professionals and families. She is delighted to join the Board and support Make Birth Better in its vital work.
Our champions volunteer their time and share their voice so we can make birth better for all
This is a volunteer position and it’s flexible to suit the amount of time you have available, as well as your interests e.g. co-producing Make Birth Better work, local flyering, writing a blog, sharing lived experience, promoting @birthbetter online. To become a champion, a short on-boarding online training session must be completed. We then meet half termly online and provide bespoke resources to supprt the role.
If you’re interested in becoming a Make Birth Better Champion - please contact us - we’d love to have you.
Our partners advocate for trauma-informed ways of working, represent parents or professionals affected by birth trauma or vicarious trauma and we collaborate wherever possible.
Our partners include:
If you’re interested in becoming a partner, please contact us. We’re always been to work in collaboration with others.